Aestivus Asphodelus (Asphodelus aestivus)

Family: Asphodelaceae | Edibility: Edible (3/5)

Asphodelus aestivus is an evergreen Perennial growing to 1 m (3ft 3in) by 0.3 m (1ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 8 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from June to August. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Nuts/Seeds, Shoots, Roots/Tubers

Harvest Seasons: Early Summer, Fall, Late Summer, Spring, Winter

Flavor & Culinary Uses

Rich in starch. — Dried and boiled in water it yields a mucilaginous matter which can be mixed with grain to make a nutritious bread.; Boiling destroys the acrid principle in the tubers, rendering them quite pleasant to eat.; Flowering stalk - cooked.

Habitat & North American Range

Rocky places, hills, dry places and on poor uncultivated ground. (Zone 7, Zone 8, Zone 9, Zone 10)